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Bishop Museum
1525 Bernice Street, Honolulu, HI 96817
Native Hawaiian Culture and Arts Program; $500,000.
This project would support the Native Hawaiian Culture and Arts Program (NHCAP). NHCAP develops programs that support traditional and modern Hawaiian culture and art activities. These projects include publication of Hawaiian cultural books & Hawaiian language materials; partnerships with cultural practitioners & artists; development of cultural exhibits; educational programs in the form of storytelling, workshops, and tours; and community events like an ethnobotany festival and Native Arts Festival. NHCAP can transform the Hawaiian community by supporting the discovery of and sharing of cultural knowledge.
Consortium for Plant Biotechnology Research, Inc.
100 Sylvan Drive, Suite 210, St. Simons Island, GA 31522
Consortium for Plant Biotechnology Research; $4,000,000.
This project would support the efforts of the Consortium for Plant Biotechnology to advance renewable energy and spur innovative technologies to improve our environment. This funding would provide for grants for research and technology transfer for phytoremediation and environmentally friendly industries.
County of Kauai
4444 Rice Street, Lihue, HI 96766
Kauai Water Infrastructure Improvements; $4,000,000.
This project would help improve the wastewater infrastructure on the west side of the island of Kauai. The Waimea Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) was originally constructed in the 1970’s and has a capacity of 300,000 gallons per day (gpd), average daily flow. Presently, the plant is operating at approximately 90 percent capacity, and Kauai County is restricting new sewer service connections due to the lack of available WWTP capacity. Fiscal year 2010 funds are needed for design and construction to expand WWTP to approximately 700,000 gpd. The County has prepared a Facilities Plan and is proceeding with a design-build procurement for the necessary expansion, along with providing improvements to the plant’s solids-handling facilities, upgrading the effluent to meet “R-1” standards for effluent re-use, and other improvements to modernize and improve plant reliability and efficiency. This expansion and improvements are necessary to handle the growing population on Kauai’s west side.
Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry, U.S. Forest Service
60 Nowelo Street, Hilo, HI 96720
Hawaii Experimental Tropical Forest; $2,500,000.
The project adds $2.5 million to the Forest Service's budget to fund the costs associated with establishment and construction of a Research and Education center necessary to achieve the potential of the recently established Hawaii Experimental Tropical Forest on the Island of Hawaii. The Hawaii Tropical Forest Recovery Act of 1992 (Public Law 102-574) authorized the establishment of the Hawaii Experimental Tropical Forest to serve as a center for long-term research and a focal point for developing and transferring knowledge and expertise for the management of tropical landscapes. The Hawaii Experimental tropical forest has the potential to become a world center of excellence in the study and education of tropical forests and watersheds. But this will require a commitment for funding of the infrastructure needs starting with this request.
National Tropical Botanical Garden
3530 Papalina Road, Kalaheo, HI 96741
National Tropical Botanical Garden; $500,000.
This project would help advance efforts to save endangered species in Hawaii. The National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG) was chartered by Congress in 1964 as an education and scientific center for research and study into the uses of tropical flora in agriculture, forestry, horticulture, medicine and other sciences as well as the collection and propagation of tropical flora species threatened with extinction. The Conservation Program at NTBG is responsible for protecting and conserving tropical plants. Hawai‘i and the greater Pacific region are considered hot-spots of extinction (nearly half of the Hawaiian flora is considered threatened at some level), and it is here that NTBG is focusing it conservation program. NTBG is a major partner in the Plant Extinction Prevention Program, which targets the rarest plants in Hawai‘i, those with fewer than 50 individuals remaining in the wild, approximately 180 species. Unless we preserve genetic material for propagation from these species now, many will be extinct before we can protect and restore habitats for their long-term recovery.
Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office, Department of Interior
300 Ala Moana Blvd., Room 3-122 Box 50088, Honolulu, HI 96850
Watershed Partnerships; $1,000,000.
This project would continue implementation of the on-the-ground, locally driven habitat restoration and species protection work carried out by Hawai‘i’s watershed partnerships. These efforts provide multiple benefits, including protection of Hawai‘i’s water sources, conservation of rare native species, reduction of siltation that harms coral reefs, and enrichment of opportunities for outdoor education and recreation. This work is even more important in the face of global climate change. The watershed partnerships have a proven track record of on-the-ground management and protection of Hawai‘i’s upper-elevation forested watersheds, the areas richest in threatened and endangered species. Recent watershed partnership accomplishments include constructing fences to exclude feral ungulates, collaborating with local hunters to reduce feral ungulates, removing invasive plants, planting native species, providing hands-on natural resource management sites for thousands of students and teachers; and developing cost effective, cutting edge remote sensing and mapping techniques.
Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office, Department of Interior
300 Ala Moana Blvd., Room 3-122 Box 50088, Honolulu, HI 96850
Invasive Species in Hawaii; $1,850,000.
This request would be used to reduce the impact of established invasive species in the State of Hawai‘i and support on-going efforts to prevent future invasive species introductions. Because of the current and future threats that invasive species pose in this geographic region, the Fish and Wildlife Service has supported collaborative, interagency, and community-based initiatives to reduce invasive species threats on a county, state, and regional level. It is anticipated that funding provided by the State of Hawai‘i to support these efforts will be significantly reduced in the upcoming year due to a decline in state revenue. Without additional federal support, critical invasive species prevention and control efforts spanning decades are in jeopardy.
Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office, Department of Interior
300 Ala Moana Blvd., Room 3-122 Box 50088, Honolulu, HI 96850
Endangered Hawaiian Forest Bird Recovery; $1,500,000.
This request would continue crucial recovery activities for the ‘alala or Hawaiian crow and three other highly endangered Hawaiian forest bird species (Maui parrotbill, puaiohi and palila) in partnership with the Zoological Society of San Diego and the State of Hawai‘i. A portion of the funding would be used to operate the Hawaiian bird propagation program, and the remaining funds would be used to prepare sites on the Big Island for the eventual reintroduction of ‘alala and other forest birds. These funds would complement the fencing and restoration of the Kona Forest Unit of Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge.
Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office, Department of Interior
300 Ala Moana Blvd., Room 3-122 Box 50088, Honolulu, HI 96850
James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge Land Acquisition; $7,400,000.
This request would complete the acquisition of the expanded James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge. In 2006, Public Law 109-225 increased the total acreage within the approved refuge boundary from 342 acres to 1,100 acres. This funding would complete the expansion of James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge for wildlife and habitat protection and resolve issues associated with the hydrology of the Kahuku floodplain. The purchase would protect the largest natural coastal wetland and last remaining natural coastal dune ecosystem on O‘ahu. It would ensure a protected haven for four endangered Hawaiian waterbirds and a variety of migratory shorebirds and waterfowl that use coastal wetlands and surrounding lands. Other native wildlife that would benefit includes the pueo or Hawaiian owl, a damselfly species, and seabirds that formerly nested in the dune habitat. Protection of the dune and strand vegetation near the coast would conserve resting habitat for the endangered Hawaiian monk seal and nesting habitat for threatened green sea turtles. This acquisition is an important conservation project for wildlife and natural resources on Oahu.
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